We’re in the midst of University of Illinois Homecoming Week, which means there’s a full slate of related activities going on. That list does NOT include this weird game which was a part of the first homecoming in 1910 (and was common on other campuses as well apparently).
Pushball is basically doing exactly what the name says. A bunch of men (this was 1910 after all) tried to push a giant ball over a line before the other bunch of men did it. Also they wore odd hats.
Look at this astonishing mass of people.
Photos from the University of Illinois Archives